PREPARING FOR WINTER FLOWERS.

Hutt News, Volume 2, Issue 36, 13 February 1930, Page 9

PREPARING FOR WINTER FLOWERS.

February is a very good month to make preparation, for the eonstait supply of citt .flowers during the winter. The time that; must. elapse between the finish of the,latc Da&lias and phrysanthemumß 'find the coming intp, fl(>wex of, the Polyanthus Narcis^us^ or as! they aiie.,comnionly .called, Jonquils,' is the dull time in the flower garden,* and gardeners are always on the look out, for flowering subjects t-hat will help for their collection. Iris Stylo3a and its varieties Alba ani Speciosa are cx v cellent for winter floweTing. This perennial seems, to ;do well planted, any time ; of the year, although after flowering in- bpring. is the best time. Qld' clumps c^an -bo cut up with a spade info pieces' with, three or fout; leads of growth. Plant a line, of each variety «in.t&c reserve garden for euttiag purposes. It is an excellent;"subj^3t;-,for planting on mounds or rockeries, wherethere is a good depth .JyS. soil, i 'uring the piesent month oli-establisSied plants are. resting, and should have their foliage, shorn off to within four inches of the ground. No harm fs done to them by this*'treatment, and the benefits will accrue i*t flowering time. There are a few old known varieties of late flowering CMrrysantnemums that are useful, and there is room for new or better varieties 'of this class, It is iiot too late to put them in ifplants are obxainabie. The late ones plaate*! in springtime can now be cut back to one foot or eight inches from the ground if ~ water has-been withheld "for a aoupla of weeks. This, treatment not only •helps to delay flowering, but also saves tying up until three weeks or so .\refore coming into flower.

Pentstemons flower well in winter if treated for that purpose. Young plants set out last winter will have .macU steady growth, and should now during the present month be kept' fai^y. dry. Shape np^ each bush by shortening back old flower spikes and t»hose at vrcesent coming into flower; loosen the sod by light forking, and top-dress with any good cirinyard manure. Alsoiit the end of the month a good watering rhould be givan, and the plants r . from then, on be kept growing by seeing *;o their requirements in supplying water when needed.

The old red varieties of Gladioli seen in most suburban gardens are very useful if .p.«anted in.April. Where hlumps of these conns are in gaidens, after flowering and as soon as the stems show signs of going to rest, they should be ijfted and placed under the shade to dryland ripen. The ifcems must not bo> cut away until thoroughly dry. They should then be placed in a cool, dry andrwell-ventilated shed, and stored for twelve months. It would be rseless planting to flbwer in July this seison, '

AfteT flowering«the conns must be allowed to remain some weeks in the ground to mature before lifting and storing again. By paying attention as regards lifting and planting at the proper time this common red Gladioli will be found a great &elp in the winter flower supply.

Too gTeat stress cannot be laid on the importance of having a plot of Iceland Poppies to cut from, in the early autumn, winter and spring months. Where a supply of seed is limited, it should be sown at once in a /box or pan, and., placed in partial shade, attended to for water, and when the seedlings' are fit to handle prick off into other boxes, allowing two inohes space to each seedling. In the meantjme prepare ground, and with the advent of two or three days of dull weather plant, out and keep j watered until established. Gardeners who have been growing this annual for years generally save seed>. and during the present month can sow in prepared ground in rows about eighteen inches apart. Keep the sprinkler moved about the plot every three-or four days, until j

the seed is well up and growing. The after culture consists in keeping the plot free of weeds by hoeing, and thinning out the seedlings to a proper distance fso that they can grow, and an' occasional watering if the autumn months prove dry. Sal via Vershafiltie is a red flowering, Salvia tkat flowers in midwinter, and I have foujad useful for table decorations. It is not such a striking coloured red as the earlier flowering, variety, Bonfire, but, being a winter flowering kind, should be in every garden. Young plants set out in spring - soon grow into specimens, and if a fdw are lifted and potted up will be found "useful winter house decoration plants. Like most Salvias it'roots, easily from

puttings,

Dahlias that are suffrceitnly advanced will to be securely fastened; to sticks so as to prevent destruction from the.'wind, and to those who intend1 to grow for shdw purposes," a .reminder is necessary with.regard to the choice of; heads to carry the show blooms. .'With Chrysanthemums a light mulching riow and again will prove beneficial, but.too© much watering and manuring must be avoided/ These will also require stakr. [ing, This is the best time of the.year ! to sow Cosmos. Many gardens have them already in a well advanced state, but a sow.ing made at vthe present time will yield better results than those sown earlier. 'A little , trouble, taken with Pansies just riow will bring its reward. Place the seed in well-prepar-ed ground, which should receive a; good soaking prior to the seed being put]in. Sow lightly and mulch. When the young plants come up which they will do very quickly) and are large enough, they be pricked off. into their per-" manent- positions. They will respond readily to bonedust, and bloom profusely 'during the winter. Delphiniums,'"Fox glove, Campanula, Stocks,\ Gypsophila panieulata, Hollyhocks, Larkspur may be treated in the same way with an assurance of success; The principal work with Roses this month will be budding and this should be done after j

ram,

Petunias and Verbenas, must fee pegged. down, as they are apt to be damaged by the wind. - Liberal waterings both at the roots and overhead are necessary.to the well-being' of the plantsMignonette should be sown now, and it will be found that the eaTly roots will do better* than those sown later. Stocks-are worthy of extensive cultivation. They do, excellently in new ground, but are not successful in low-' lying or faultily-drained ground. Many splendid varieties are catalogued by seedsmen, and readers should have no difficulty in. obtaining a choice collection. Thrip will probably be troublesome, and tobacco powder on the. inside of the'leaves will be found to assist in destroying this pest. ..

The saving of seed from the annual flowers is very simple, Look over the garden for the plants bearing the-ehoie-e«t 'flowers and "mark one or more of these, so that t»he blossoms may not be picked. Remove some of the buds -ao that compaTativfcly few flowers are left to mature. When, these have ripened off, rub out the seeds on a clean surface, blow away the chaff if there is any, and.wrap tie seeds in paper, marking plainly the variety and year. In the ease of the China asters and similar composite flower, do not leave any blossoms on the plant which aTe not double to the centre. Their beauty depends on the full effect this doubling gives, and imperfect flowers too often appear in plants from t&e cheaper grades of seeds. This is especially true of the beautiful comet type. Too much stress cannot be laid on the value, of mulching during the hot weather, as, it is of the greatest assistance to the welfare of growing seedlings. , _